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PUK's Azad Jindiani clarifies Talabani's
Lawsuit against Hawlati
1.2.2008
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February 1, 2008
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published
an article in its web site on the lawsuit filed by
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani against the
editor-in-chief of the Kurdish weekly Hawlati for
publishing a report
written by Michael Rubin.
Concerning this article and the lawsuit of President
Talabani, Head of PUK Central Media Office and
Member of PUK Leadership Committee, Azad Jindiani in
answering several questions of PUKmedia highlighted
this issue and this interview uncovers the secrets
of that issue:
Q: What is your opinion on the article by the
Committee to Protect Journalists, which expressed
their concern about the lawsuit filed by President
Jalal Talabani against Hawlati weekly for publishing
a report by Michael Rubin? |
Azad Jindiani is Member of PUK Leadership Committee,
and Head of PUK Central Media Office. |
Jindiani: That
committee is free in its working style, which is
supposed to be only protecting journalists, I am not
skeptical on their work, but raising any claim
according to the law of that country you live in,www.ekurd.net
is a normal and legal
issue, that is not reduction of freedom of writing
and opinion, since writing and defamation are two
deference things. Up to now no one has been called
by Kurdistan region courts because of opposite
opinion, and that claim filled is not against entire
Michael Rubin’s report, but is against those items
that includes defamation and accusation against
president Talabani or Kurdistan official in general.
Q: But CPJ says no journalists should be
penalized for covering a general issue, is that
article by Michael Rubin covers a general issue or
it is accusation and defamation?
Jindiani: I ask
a question to CPJ, can they instead of Michael Rubin
give us the documents to prove the credibility of
these allegations. Those lawsuits, including this
one, was not for opinions and criticism, but was for
publishing untrue news.
Q: About that item in the article by CPJ
which says Talabani should halt his claim against
Hawlati ,do you see president Talabani will do that
or not ?
It is up to president Talabani. Along this period
there were many lawsuits by officials against a
journalist or a newspaper ,but during various stages
they halted those claims in order to tell
journalists indirectly that they want to arrange
journalism not to revenge .President Talabani’s aim
is not to revenge from any one,
www.ekurd.net
but wants journalism in
Kurdistan region to go on legally.
Q: What do you say when Michael Rubin
says that he finds it incredibly ironic that the
Kurdistan leadership responds to a critical essay in
such a way?
Jindiani:
Michael Rubin wants to alter the realities and to
tell people that this lawsuit was for a critical
essay, but starting this issue is not for a critical
essay rather it was for untrue news and information
which Michael Rubin should prove for us from where
he got that information and where are his documents.
Michael Rubin should review his data .He is an
academic figure, a figure in the world of writing he
should not speak without documents and sources .In
the case of talking on any citizen in the world and
making accusations, he should resort to law.
I think a part of those newspapers that rely on such
information, there are political agendas behind
their works and not just their professions , for
example we know that Hawlati itself has not got that
article ,but it came from other places ,a place
where they have opposition agenda in Kurdistan , not
as a source of professionalism and journalism .
pukmedia com
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